1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to racks and more particularly to racks for mounting skis on a vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are many types of ski racks for attaching one or more pairs of skis to a vehicle. A common type of ski rack has two, separated ski carrier assemblies which mount over the roof of an automobile by clamping to the rain gutters on either side of the roof. This type of ski rack is capable of holding a number of pairs of skis and poles horizontal to the automobile's roof. The ski rack is usually provided with a lock to prevent the rack and skis from being stolen.
While the type of ski rack described above is quite adequate for most passenger vehicles it is not well adapted for pickup trucks. The roof of a pickup truck is usually too short accommodate a standard ski rack. As a consequence, most pickup truck owners are forced to carry their skis on the bed of their pickup truck.
Unfortunately, skis loosely placed on the bed of a pickup truck tend to bounce around and become damaged. Furthermore, the skis are not protected against theft, as they could be if they were locked into a ski rack. Also, if the length of the skis are longer than the length of the pickup truck bed they do not fit into the truck. Lastly, carrying skis on the bed of the pickup truck reduces the amount of cargo that could otherwise be carried by the truck.